Displaced Radical Faeries

Just thought I'd start a topic for the Faeries who just returned from the gathering at Short Mountain. Got back on Saturday and have to say that it was the most incredible trip. Even with only 4 hours of sunlight the whole week due to heavy rain and clouds, I had a blast.

I just wanted to thank all the pioneers at SMS for welcoming me and offering such a beautful experience to the world. Talk about being down with the brown!

I am sorry this post is a long and scattered but since it is fresh in my mind everything came out all at once. My tenses are screwey, and my spelling is a bit off, so patience please...

Hey Mom,You would have loved it all! I am by no means a camper, and I dealt with it just fine. I was afraid it would be 200 homos huddled around a habachi (sp?) cooking an eggplant, but they have the system DOWN! Meals are regular 3 times a day. People are asked to participate any way they feel comfortable-either preparing or cleanup- but no pressure. There is a gorgeous ceremony the night before Beltane where they chop down last year's maypole and then burn it to the sounds of a drumming circle. People become truly possessed and dance around (some naked, some not) in celebration. Because of the non-stop rain this year it made the bonfires a bit less frenzied than usual (so I was told). But they were beautiful nonetheless. Coincidentally, one of the only moments where the sun shone for a long period of time was on May 1st when they raised the new pole and were blessing it, at which point everyone began screamin and cheering and then at the close of the ceremony we all just hugged and danced around and fed each other fresh fruit that was being passed around on these large hollowed out shavings from the may pole. I know this may all sound ludicrous to some, but to feel the energy circulating around the maypole at that moment was brilliant. This is the kind of thing I would ridicule for days, but having been a part of it is truly humbling and really made me feel small compared to the elements. For example, at last years Beltane, the moment the maypole was raised, the sky turned black and with one clap of thunder and a flash of lightning a torrential downpour began. If that doesn't say something about the past year then someone please offer a better explanation.Throughout the week they have different activities which you can go to, like drag badminton, a no-talent contest, a drag show, a cotillion, the crowning of the Csarina (amid whispers of a coup)- some fun and some goofy stuff. The freedom to express yourself in any way you see fit is overwhelming.And talk about Tony-hounds!!! Before each meal the would have a circle where people could just make announcements about the days events or requests. Sometimes, the circle in the afternoon was more of a "share how you feel" situation. All circles were regulated with a talking stick. Seriously. Sometimes people said really moving things and sometimes....not. But to lay in a hammock and just listen to people reflect on their experiences at the Short Mountain Sanctuary was very moving. And at the end of the week was the Kool Aid party. I must confess that a lot of my time on the mountain was taken up by thinking about this party because Hush had asked me to dj at it. I had never been to SMS before; no one really knew me except for a handful of NY faeries who were there; and they already have several amazing dj family members who usually play at events there. While I felt that everyone else was expressing themselves and contributing to the gathering I still felt like I was holding back, like the only way I was going to be able to share with everyone what it meant for me to be there and how much I cherished the experience was by laying the soundtrack for their journey that night. There had also been quite a bit of talk about the party so there was a bit of "prove yourself" pressure on top of it all. But most of all I was just nervous that I couldn't rise to the occasion. How wrong I was! I am not saying this to merely toot my own horn because I swear I was merely channeling what was being fed to me by those people.First of all the party was held in this outside pavillion which glamnerd, Rain, Tex, and several others set up during the day. There were tie-dyed sheets (naturally), xmas lights shining through the wooden plank floor, and beautiful video by glammy. The party began at 9:30 with Justin Bond saying a prayer- basically saying that we were rejoicing the fifth element, the spirit, and that we were in a safety zone and there were plenty of lifeguards around so if you felt like you were in danger to just call out for help. After a brief moment of chanting of "I Aint Going Down To The Well No More", I played "Welcome To The Pleasure Dome". As I'm sure you know Mommy, it begins with a spoken word bit that ends "I am no longer an artist. I have become a work of art...welcome to the Pleasuredome." JC and gorgeous! At that moment the music started and glam's video went on, the lighting effects came on and people cheered. I took those people to another dimension for 8 hours. The amount of energy, love and respect in that pavillion was almost too much to handle. I felt like I was literally telling each and every person how beautiful they are and that for that one night everything in the universe was alright. No body freaked out, no body got hurt, no drama ensued. It was unbelievable. I only hope I am able to participate in something that inspiring again. One of the phrases that was repeated throughout the week was "Welcome home." I can still hear it ringing in my ears.Saturday we came back to New York.

If you're talking about Jojo the fab hairdresser, I did in fact meet her. She dyed everyone's hair the 2nd day we were there. It was a riot to see all these faeries running around the knoll waiting for there bleach to work. She reminded me of Miss Shannon from NY. Totally fantastic!

Remember too that last years may pole was forked into 2 points at the top....very eerie.

It was so great to see someone experience Beltane for the first time. I know last year was just as magical for me. It truly is a recharge for me, creatively, spiritually and physically. I was told by someone last year that you get something different every year. I can see it now. This year was just as beautiful, strange, carefree, emotional, relaxing, exhausting, scary, stupid, and profound as last year but in a completely different way.

The party Friday was without a doubt magic. It reminded me why I do what I do. After feeling really frustrated about certain things in my life and here in NYC, I had the chance to feel that satisfaction that only comes from a pure creative collaboration and synergy. I was reminded on Fri of how psychically connected I am to the close tribe I have surrounded myself with. I had not had a chance to really speak with Sammy or Justin about how we were going to start the party, I was told a few things by Hush and then the next thing I knew we were beginning. Everyone dropped some pez entered the pavilion and sat on the floor. I just let the connection take over. I had changed the video on instinct. The opening of the party was perfect. Justin spoke from his soul. Sammy started the audio and I just flicked the projector switch purely on feeling and there was *BOB* in slow motion guiding all around to the beginning of their trip as the words "Welcome to the pleasuredome" echoed through the woods. People were mesmerized. Sammy was never so on as he was that night , I think it is the moment he found something . It was a marvel to see. But that's what happens at Short Mountain.

There's so much to share, which will come in time, but a quick note on DJ Sammy Jo planting seeds for a Universal harvest-- who knew he was such a skilled gardener:

Pickles managed to filter "Edge of Seventeen" through his speakers in the very early morning hours, perhaps precisely one week before The Battle of A Thousand Stevies. That moment still pulses through me as I prepare for Friday night.

He and Rob electronically channeled so many of our faerie friends into that party-- we welcomed BOB, Le Tigre, Theo. And when our Jersey Tomato sang "Atomic", we danced for the Universe, as invoked by Justin Buick Skylark FABbreeze.

So many of us are traveling in the upcoming months to bring our celebrations around the world. Through venues such as this Cyberclub, we expand our song into the Universe.

"The whole world is watching us now. We must be nothing less than fabulous." --Grant Morrison (via Emma Frost in "New X-Men")

One of the many other memorable moments was the night we all witnessed the sacrifice of Justin's original Kiki dress. It was a cinematographer's wet dream. It was a dark and rainy night; we (Pickles, Granite, Garrett, Denise and Francis, Goneaway, Scooter) went all the way out to memorial ridge for the beginning of the ritual. All of us crouched down in a circle with black umbrellas, granite created a ceremonial circle of rocks and candles. We all tried to keep the candles lit as Granite read some beautiful words and burned pictures, as he did the skies started to crash with lightning and thunder, the skies opened up and it began to pour. All of us walked in two's single file down the dirt path in the pitch dark woods, while every few seconds a violent lightning flash would light up the entire forest and reveal all the black umbrellas in a row. I have never seen an image that haunting captured in a movie. We continued to the main fire circle that was still going strong in the middle of the storm and Justin threw the dress into the blaze. As it went up in flames you could smell the strong scent of cheap perfume in the smoke. I walked back to the main house but stopped for a moment to look behind me. The barn was completely backlit from the fire circle and an orange hue was surrounding it while enormous flashes of lightning lit up the entire area every so often (cinematographers wet dream again). I pulled the umbrella from over my head and just let the rain pour over me for a minute and then continued to the kitchen to sip warm coconut milk with a handsome faerie...

Im here in the middle of a render wander at work and I was thinking of a funny thing that reminded me of Empress, (one of the several times i thought of her on the mountain) .

Pinky, who is one of the most MAJOR and elder faeries (who I had the honor to hold hands with during the lifting of the May pole). was in the kitchen very late one night, I was about to take the long haul back to my tent but thought I would stop in the kitchen and get a snack for the way. When i arrived to my surprise someone was playing Madonna's "Ray of Light". I started to chuckle and think of Chi when who comes shuffling over but Pinky ...."Is this Madonna?" he asks me with a look like he smelled something rank. "yes , Im afraid it is" I reply. "Ugh!, can't she get a job" he exclamed while looking at me with is bugged out eyes, "I'm so sick of supporting her" he concluded. "I know someone who you would love" I replied .....I smiled and walked home in the pitch dark (I forgot my flashlight) eating the most delicious apple while thinking of Empress.

okay...so i'm back on the boards now. hel-LO!!but there's so much to say that i can't go there right now. i'm 'spected at the faerie psychic fair that started an hour ago.know this... cheez whiz could VERY well be a short mt. reunion tonight. legends will abound.i want to be the first on the moe boe's to invoke this name...

okay, if any more time goes by without me throwing in some stories here i'll have forgotten. so here goes...

i arrived over two weeks early. i REALLY loved being there with fewer people, plugging in to the bigger pre-gathering projects - cleaning out the goat boutique, building pavillion benches - and the other stuff that just seems impossible during the frenzy of the fete. i even endured a seven day fast drinking nothing but water and a lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper concoction. it was time well spent. (but FUCK was i hungry!)

favorite moments from the gathering itself...driving the two ton red flatbed truck to the nashville airport to bring back all the luggage from that days arrivals and two of my new york sisters - nancy isla and jackie bigalow. feelin' super cuntry realness in my leopard cowboy hat. i like to think that it was a perfect way to walk nancy in for her virgin visit.

anytime a party happened on the pavillion i felt Magic present. may eve, may day, may 3... all of it. but it was on may day itself that i really had some divine revelations. (DISCLAIMER... i really thought i was "beyond" this sort of thing. that i had somehow seen it all. that these gatherings were nothing but a bunch of nekkid men on drugs in the woods. i'm so glad that i was reminded of the "other stuff.") i realized how much i loved life on the mountain, how much people there loved me, and that the reasons i had been giving myself for not settling there were pretty much bullshit. i mean, there i was with pinto and another cutie doing silly yoga poses on a quilt under the stars by the maypole still a lil' bit high from the days "festivities." why would i ever wanna leave? and so it was then and there that the thought of staying really started to take hold.

the most Magical though was saturday mornings "cunty calisthenics" led by miss jupiter. it started out with just jupiter leading tangle (a registered motherboarder!) in some improvisational movement. she was drawing from yoga, tai chi, qi gong, butoh, and harlem drag balls and more. then someone else joined. then someone else. and someone else. all to a dreamy ambient soundtrack in the early morning mist and light. when there would be six of us (that seemed to be the magic number) moving together in a circle some really intense energy was present. i felt as if we were opening an interdimensional portal. and i'd say some intense healing work was happening for at least one person involved. (again, this is one of those things that i woulda poo-poohed not even a month ago.) truly incredible stuff. and i wanna give credit for it to jupiter for channeling and especially to tangle for showing me what happens when people work together... not judging themselves or each other... just cooperating and making it happen.

okay, that's all for now. the gathering is still going if you ask me. it's just moved locations... from tennessee to vegas and now new york. my suggestion to any of you who've missed it along the way?? PLUG IN NOW!!!

just going back through this topic.thinking it might be nice to "greek" the letters of certain words. (especially four letter words starting with "A" and preceding test.)there are definite security concerns down there.

is there a moderator out there who could help us out like that? preesh.

And will be glad to do a lite "greeking" as you put it for the sake of the tribe. Feel free to email me (use profile address) if you feel anything else incriminating is in there and not editable by you.

Ulysses darling, you do amaze me. You are so quiet but the minute someone actually needs you, you appear. I wish I could teach a few others that trick, LOL. And yes, you would totally get and love the RFs, specially the techno-pagans in their midst.

And glammie, I finally got to catch up in this topic today and was howling over the story of Pinky and Belzie. Are you absolutely sure we're not the same person?

yes it all good .....lots of magic to take it all in in ine visit....i have gone several times for the past 10 years i think. some people go to be total freaks , some go to work...sucky sucky....and some go to give magic... thats me. i love doing hair when i'm there because it does add to the visit ...i get to do what ever i want to you....witch is a hairdressers dream. and time to stop and smell the flowers ....i'm even talking about buying land down there....we will see. i was thinking about building a home that will be a three level home in the shape of a human mirrored head sticking out of the ground....hmmmmm? everyone must go down for beltaine....may1....fell the magic baby .

Got back yesterday from the FG (Bah!). Was totally amazing. SO different from Beltaine but so nice, too. Texxx, I was shouting your name on Friday night, could ya hear? I can't wait to tell you about me, Jackie Bigalow, Boo, and Whosentya Fabreze's exploits. I will say right now that Jackie Bigalow is doing horribly. She not only looks like shit, but she smells like it too. The last time I saw her she had suctioned herself onto someone calling himself Cumdumpster (obviously Jizzbucket had already been taken). I'm quite worried that the fresh air and vegetarian diet have increased her taste for crystal and poppers. Oh poor Jackie! But enough about her, here's how the rest of the gathering went...oh wait, there goes my phone...guess I'll have to tell you later, Texxx!

Taking a break from a render, I was laughing again about our little excursion to Jackie Bigalows Bungalow last Saturday night at Short Mountain , Tenn. All 7 of us (me, Justin, Pickels, Goneaway, Jackie, Pinto, Cum Dumpster) were taking the "20" minute "walk" to Jackies house in the woods. In the pitch dark walking,or shall I say , sliding up and down the muddy , rocky , hills. Finally ending up 35? minutes later...at the house , it was really fun hanging out in the middle of nowhere drinking red wine and listening to music (including Debbie and Theo) with all my friends, but getting there was hilarious . I can still hear Justin screaming in his Kiki voice "this hill's killing me" and then there was the "fat shadow" that had mysticly attached itself to me. Someone has to film this stuff one day, its just too good.

I'm proud to announce that Jackie Bigalow has just become the newest member of the Woodbury, TN Public Library, and was told in no uncertain terms by the librarian that she was absolutely not allowed to look at porn while using this computer. With her 1987 German Skinhead hair and sleeveless Glamour Goblins shirt, bright green pants and yellow shoes, I just don't know why they would even think they had to tell her that.

So things down here are pretty magical-- I get to bathe at least once a week, I just had a delicious and nutritious cheeseburger at Sonicburger (btw, Glamnerd-- Tracy was fired for wearing the 69 cap from Bacon 'n' Biscuits in Murfreesboro, not Sonicburger in Woodbury-- she worked exclusively with the cola and milkshake machines), and I'm currently doing my laundry so I don't have to wear the same socks that I've had on since you kids left).

My book had been coming along relatively smoothly until our dear friend Granite knocked my laptop onto the floor, so now I have to take it to the nearest computer store 2 hours away in Nashville and pay them $85 (minimum) to spend three business days fixing it. In the meantime, I'm playing a fierce round of Scrabble games with my neighbor Willie. And I just cleaned out my shitter.

This is the closing weekend of the Woodbury Community Players' smash production of "Carousel", so 18 of us faeries made reservations for tonight. "When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark". I'll have to keep this song in my head as I do my nightly walk home through the woods in the pouring rain which Glamnerd described above. I

It was so special having ya'll up at my house the other night-- as I sit alone writing at the kitchen table, I play Nora Jones and remember you fondlely, I mean fondly.

As soon as I get my computer back, I'll continue writing my book just as fast as my little fingers can type so that I can come back home and brunch with all you goons again.

But today is a beautiful autumn day, and I'm enjoying every clean breath of it while I can.

oh my goddess gracious.what a bunch of j.c. witchy-poo wannabes.passed around sacramental tea and then sat by the fire singing tired ol' rainbow gathering pagan chants and cryin' over and talking about all the queens who had "passed over" in the past year or couldn't be with us for whatever reason.i was like... you freaks spend so much goddamn time tryin' to talk to people who ain't here you miss out on havin' a good time with the ones who is.one hardcore sister and i stayed up well past sunrise and some hippie comes wanderin' back to the fire and says, "i hear there was a party here last night." without missing a beat my girl sez, "it wasn't no party. it was church."who's idea of fun on halloween is vying for position around a fire in order to keep from freezing to death while a bunch of people go thru processing that would make a lesbian blush???horrible. absolutely horrible.i wish i had been in new york with you guys or portland with my burning crew or any goddamn place other than wolf creek, oregon.the moral of the story:a samhain ritual ain't no halloween party.

I knew it was gonna be good when (faiery hag) Page walked through the door with those same antliers on her head from New Orleans last year. "Someone" was so glad to see her so she could pay her back for the joint (last Halloween). DJ Pickles had the upstair in a twitter while I blew out the speakers in the basement. Fun. Pinto was there lookin' good. (by the way, that is him in that photo) I asked who he came with and he said he came alone. I told him that in that case he was mine. He said "OK" and I never saw him again. Pulled a runner. No comments from you either Isla!The only thing missing was Jackie "get the sling" Bigalow.

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